Lever-and-link feed, slidable jaw wrench



Sept. 6, 1955 c. L. MAITLAND 2,716,912

LEVER-AND-LINK FEED, SLIDABLE JAW WRENCH Filed Dec. 9 1952 United States Patent -O LEVER-AND-LINK FEED, SLIDABLE JAW WRENCH Charles Leslie Maitland, Jasper, Ontario, Canada Application December 9, 1952, Serial No. 324,900

4 Claims. (Cl. 81-86) This invention relates to a wrench. More particularly, the invention relates to a ratchet-operated wrench.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved ratchet-operated wrench.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a ratchetoperated wrench which is operable either to grip or release by a single manual control or handle.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a ratchet-operated wrench which automatically releases upon manipulation of a single handle.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide a ratchet-operated wrench wherein the mechanism for effecting the gripping stroke of the movable jaw comprises two levers eccentrically connected to a single manually-operated handle.

In the drawing, wherein is shown the preferred form of the invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wrench in one of its operative positions;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, in part broken away, showing the wrench in its other operative position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the wrench; and,

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 in Figure 1.

Referring now by numerals to the drawing, shows an elongate member one end of which is formed with a jaw 11 adapted to co-operate with a complementary or companion movable jaw 12. The member 10 is formed with an elongate slot 13 extending rearwardly from that end which is adjacent to the jaw 11. Rearwardly of the slot 13 is another elongate slot 14, the adjacent ends of the slots 13 and 14- being defined by a portion 15 (see Fig. 3) of the member 10.

The side vertical walls of the member 10 are recessed inwardly as at 16, to form longitudinally extending guides or channels in which bars 17 are adapted to slide.

The jaw 12 includes a head portion 18 slotted as at 19 longitudinally to slide on the member 10.

The jaw 12 is pivotally attached to the forward ends of the bars 17 as by a bolt or the like 20.

Pivotally attached to the rear ends of the bars 17, as by a pin or the like 22, is an actuating handle 23. The pin 22 extends through the rearward ends of the bars 17 and through the slot 13, so that the handle 23 is bodily movable lengthwise with the bars 17 and therefore, with the jaw 12.

Also pivoting on the pin 22 is a lever 25. Conveniently, the lever assumes the shape of a U (as seen in plan). The lever is formed at its rear end with a lug 26 adapted to engage teeth 27 (see Fig. 2) formed on the member 10 Within the confines of the slot 14. The teeth in effect, constitute a toothed rack.

The lever carries a pin 30 on either side thereof, adapted to be engaged by a second lever 31, also conveniently of U-shape (as seen in plan), pivotally connected to the handle 23 as by a pin 32. The lever 31 is formed at its rear end with a lug 33 adapted to engage the teeth 27.

The lever 31 is urged downwardly or clockwise (as seen in Fig. 2), by a spring 29 engaging the end or transverse Wall of this lever, and anchored at its opposite ends in the portions of the member 10 defining the ends of the slot 14. Thus, the lug 33 is resiliently held in engagement with the teeth 27 by the tension in the spring 29, and the lug 26 of the lever 25 is held in engagement with the teeth by the spring-loaded lever 31, which, as already stated, engages the pins 30.

The teeth 27 are such that the levers 25 and 31 act as ratchets, the handle 23 being capable of bodily movement forwardly, that is, from right to left (as seen in Figures 1 and 2), but being incapable of bodily movement in the opposite direction unless the levers 25 and 31 are raised to release the teeth 27.

Tensioned between the forward end of the lever 25, more particularly a transverse portion 34 of the lever (see Fig. l), and the rear end of the member 10, is a coil spring 35, the spring tending bodily to move the lever 25 (and therefore the-bars 17, the jaw 12, the handle 23, and the lever 31) rearwardly.

The rearward movement ofthe bars 17 is determined by the engagement of the pin 22 with the rear end of the slot 13.

As already stated, the lever 25 is pivoted on the bars or carriage 17, at 22, and the actuating handle 23 is also pivoted on the bars 17 at 22; on the other hand, the lever 31 is pivoted on the handle 23 at 32. The pins 22 and 32 are thus relatively spaced longitudinally of one another, one lying above the other. Thus, as the handle 23 is swung anti-clockwise on its pivot 22, the lever 31 is bodily moved or dragged forwardly, the leg 33 of the lever sliding over the teeth 27. The lug 26 of the lever 25 at this time engages one of the teeth 27, and provides an anchor for the lever 25.

Upon an opposite (clockwise) swinging movement of the handle 23, the lug 33 of the lever 31 engages one tooth, to provide an anchor for the lever 31, and the handle 23 is bodily moved forwardly, moving the bars 17 and jaw 12 forwardly, and dragging the lever 25. The bars or carriage 17 will, therefore, be moved forwardly, moving therewith the jaw 12 toward the fixed jaw 11 as the handle 23 is swung back and forth on its pivot 22.

As already stated, the rear ends of the levers 25 and 31 are urged toward the rack by the spring 29, and the levers are normally incapable of bodily rearward movement. Therefore, to actuate the levers so that they may be released from the rack and permit rearward bodily movement of the handle 23, the levers 31 and 25, and the carriage 17, under the action of the spring 35, the forward end of the handle is formed with a portion 37 adapted to engage the (left-hand) end of the lever 25 forwardly of the pin 22. The arrangement thus is such that by turning the handle 23 anti-clockwise sufficiently,

the lever 25 and the lever 31 will be swung anti-clockwise to be released from the rack. The tensioned spring 35 will now pull the lever 25 (and therefore the handle 23, the lever 31, and carriage 17), rearwardly, thereby spacing the jaw 12 from its fixed companion jaw 11.

What I claim is:

1. In a wrench, an elongate member including a jaw, said member being formed with a toothed rack, a second jaw movable on said member toward and away from said first jaw, a pivoted operating handle bodily movable with said second jaw, a pair of pawls pivoted to said handle at longitudinally spaced points therealong and having their free ends engageable with said rack at longitudinally spaced points therealong, and spring means resiliently holding said pawls in co-operating engagement with said rack.

2. In a wrench, an elongate member including a jaw, said member being formed with a toothed rack, a second jaw movable on said member toward and away from said first jaw, a pivoted operating handle bodily movable with said second jaw, a pair of pawls pivoted to said handle at longitudinally spaced points therealong and having their free ends engageable with said rack at longitudinally spaced points therealong, spring means resiliently holding said pawls in co-operating engagement with said rack, spring means urging said handle away from said first jaw, and means including eo-operating means on said handle and on one of said pawls for actuating said pawls to become disengaged from said rack by rotating said handle in one direction thereby freeing said second jaw for movement away from said first jaw.

3. In a wrench, an elongate member having a fixed jaw adjacent the forward end thereof, said member including an elongate slot adjacent the rear end thereof, a pair of elongate bars slidable longitudinally of said member, a second jaw fixed to said bars for co-operation with said fixed jaw, said slot being formed with a toothed rack, a pawl pivoted to said bars, and having its free I end adapted operatively to engage said rack, an operating handle pivoted to said bars on the pivotal axis of said pawl with said bars, a second pawl pivoted to said handle rearwardly of the pivotal axis of said first pawl with said bars and having its free end adapted operatively to engage said rack, spring means disposed'in said slot resiliently holding said second pawl in co-operative engagement with said rack, and co-operating means on said pawls for holding said first pawl in co-operative engagement with said rack by said second pawl.

4. In a wrench as in claim 2, a spring tensioned between said one of said pawls and said member for urging said second jaw away from said first jaw, and means including co-operating means on said handle and on said one of said pawls for actuating said pawls to become disengaged from said rack by rotating said handle in one direction thereby freeing said second jaw for movement away from said fixed jaw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 712,043 Chevraux Oct. 28, 1902 753,396 Howard Marl 1, 1904 1,163,428 McMillen Dec. 7, 1915 1,249,587 Auburg Dec. 11, 1917 1,320,230 Homrighausen Oct. 28, 1919 1,356,948 Weatherby Oct. 26, 1920 1,412,293 Sewell Apr. 11, 1922 

